“I believe in the people as a key lever in value creation”

At the start of 2026, Praeva Partners welcomed Daria Koren on board as Principal. An experienced search consultant with a background in consumer brands, Daria is helping shape the future of Praeva.

We sat down with her to share a deeper understanding of her career so far, her passions and why she decided to join Praeva. 

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Tell us more about your career experience so far

I’ve always worked in the consumer space, not by accident but by choice. As a teen and obsessive follower of fashion and lifestyle trends, I thought I might end up in retail - as a buyer or merchandiser - but ultimately I followed a path into search. I adore the consumer brand space. I love working with businesses that are already part of my life: the shops I choose; the companies I follow on social media; the goods I buy, the creators I watch on YouTube. Making an impact on a brand that I already use and believe in  gives my work deeper meaning.

I’m a passionate believer in the power of people as a key lever of value creation in an investor-backed world. Generally, people think about creating value from a financial perspective , but it’s the people who make that growth in numbers really happen.

Knowing I wanted to be in the consumer space means that I’ve always pursued this area. I started in boutique firms, and was lucky enough to work for a well-known UK tech ecosystem, at exactly the right moment, where DTC, founder-led brands were exploding in Europe, and investors were repeatedly backing consumer products. Most recently I worked at Blackwood.

Most people start as generalists; I was a specialist by design.

Why did you decide to join Praeva?

 I have always believed in looking to career mentors to help you define your path. If you can see it you can be it! I've worked for some absolute power houses in consumer search who remain important mentors today and Mark was always on my radar as someone I wanted to have the opportunity to learn from.

We were introduced by a former colleague as he was setting up Praeva, and when I met him I knew I’d found something special. I'm entrepreneurial and risk-taking by nature. Like many people of my generation, I find it hard to fit into hierarchies and established structures, and spent a lot of time in my roles questioning why we had to do things a certain way and struggling to stick to the status quo.

I was always slightly disruptive in that way! I hate rules that don't make sense and I knew I would do something more entrepreneurial some day, I just didn't know what. Running my own business had always been the ambition, and Mark and Praeva have offered me the chance to do that within the safety confines of a wider firm. How lucky am I that I get to help build a business from the ground up?

What do you hope to achieve with the business?

I want to make us synonymous with a new way of doing search, to be pioneers in the field. I want people to come to Praeva because they are looking for something new for their own careers, and clients to come to us because we deliver the best service.

Just as our clients define categories and disrupt spaces, we aim to do the same with our company set up and our approach to people. Our ambition is for Praeva to deliver excellence in every form - from choosing the best technology to support our work, to finding the best search consultants to deliver our briefs, to uncovering the perfect person for each placement.

What are the key issues affecting your specialist area?

I can’t count how many times I've been told that consumer isn't where the money is, isn't a wise investment or is ‘dead’ as a sector. People cite everything from changes in Government, to the higher cost of living and reducing consumer spend to argue that this space is no longer one of growth or investor interest.

It’s true that times are tough for consumer brands - however, I’ve never seen more exciting founder-led brands come out of the space, creating genuine communities and cult followings. Out of hardship comes opportunity. Today, it's all about how to scale that and deploy capital in the age of AI. How do you remain an authentic consumer brand? How do you speak to customers? How do you create great products without being dwarfed by technological advances that make everything feel uninspired? 

This is today’s pain point for the consumer market, and I’m really passionate about solving that problem with clients.

From a talent perspective, I'd also like to see the return of the classical brand leader. It’s easy to become obsessed with growth but the numbers show that authenticity wins every time. It's a hot take because all brand leaders are expected to be commercial today - but I think we are losing some of that tone of voice, look and feel to the obsession with growth, and brands are poorer for it.

How is the executive search market as a whole developing?

The days of doing deals over lunch with the old boys club are long gone. Executive search consultants are the new advisors and, just like bankers, lawyers and corporate finance houses, we add significant value that delivers far beyond the transaction.

This shift in how search is viewed by clients is changing the way that search firms are engaged. Clients are seeing the importance of involving the firm much earlier in the cycle, as people come to understand the true value of good talent and how hard it is to find. For search firms, this means an opportunity to demonstrate the impact of acting consultatively.

The other massive shift in search comes thanks to AI. The disruption to the jobseeking market - at every level of seniority - should not be underestimated. Businesses will need to start looking at other ways of recruiting as they seek to find the right people to take them forward.

How can search firms support candidates as well as clients?

 The candidate can be overlooked in the search process. Firms will build short lists and naturally only one candidate will take the job - and some firms can be guilty of treating the others as collateral damage. We do things differently, and we aim to build a community where candidates and clients alike can benefit from an extended network - acting as informal advisors to candidates and clients alike and being helpful. Let's shake off the sales stereotype when we can add real value!

How do you approach a search brief?

There is no point doing a search in a vacuum - context is everything. The biggest skill search consultants need to learn is the ability to listen properly and to derive meaning from what’s being said (and what’s not!).

Search partners should be pushing to spend time with clients inside their business, asking tricky questions and challenging past decisions as they work to create a realistic brief. Too many people not only promise to deliver candidates that don't exist, but also those that simply aren't available due to timing and market conditions. My approach is always grounded in honesty. I am happy to show you the real make up of a leadership team, and how to reinforce and empower within that.

What do you do when you’re not working?

As a former athlete, I'm never too far from the gym. I am yet to complete my PT qualification but it's on my list as I'm never too far from a Barry's, 1Rebel or hot Pilates. I also spend a lot of time with various women in business communities, and I'm passionate about giving back. I mentor professionally, and I'm on the board of my former school, advising them on fundraising, philanthropy and access as a former bursary kid.

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